Sharp Lake in Jackson County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Jackson County, Michigan, this is Sharp Lake. The water sits 932 feet up. With some 27 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Vandercook Lake is the closest town at 0.8 miles. Further out sit Jackson (2.9 miles) and Michigan Center (4 miles). Within a short drive: Mud Lake 0.8 miles, Cove Lake 1 mile off, Vandercook Lake 1.1 miles, Wyckoff Lake 1.4 miles off and Brown Lake 1.7 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Sharp Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Sharp Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Sharp Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Gatewood Park covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Mud Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Sharp Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.